Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-03-02

and do not believe that your religion is
worth penny unless it will bear death,
judgment, and the eternal world.
This being dene, accustom yourself to
, act with solemn determination before God
, on every matter which concerns morals and
religion. Many very decent people are not
selfcontained, but are dependent upon the
assistance of others. They are like the
houses which our London builders run up
, so quickly in long rows; if they did not help
to keep each other up they would all tum
lie down at once, for no one of them could
stand alone. How much there is of joint
stock company religion, where hypocrites
and Journalists keep each other in counter
ance. Where things are not quite SO bad
as this, yet there is too little personal estab-
lishment in the faith. So many people have
CLEAN To'' RELIGION.
son were taken away, their back wall would
be gone, and they would come to the ground.
In some cases the wife and mother, or the
husband and father, or the friend and teach
er, constitute the main support of the ind-
| viduals religion; he leans upon others, and
| If these fail him there is an end of his hope.
Friends, this sort of religion will not do
! We must purpose in our own heart what we
will do, and then stand to our purpose
Happy he who dares to be in the right With
TIVE or three. Happier still is he who will
stand in the right, even ifthe choice two or
three should quit it. He who can stand
alene is man indeed; every man of God
should be such. Athanasius contra mum
dun is grand figure. Against the whole
world Athanasius proclaimed the godhead
of Christ, and he won the day. If you will
not go to the world, the wsrld will have one
day to come to you.
God make us champions of His holy cause!
Heroiam can only be wrought in us by the
Holy Ghost. Humbly yielding your whole
nature to the power of the divine Saneti6er,
you will be true TO your Lord even to the
end. At the cross foot, with your eyes up
on those blessed wounds, and your whole
soul trusting in Him that liveth and was
dead, you will not be ashamed of your
Lord, nor afraid of the consequences Of
obeying Him.
II. But now, secondly, if you cannot say
that it is true, what then? If, standing be-
fore the heart-searching God at this time,
yeu cannot say, sit is true,''
HOW SHOULD YOU AcT2
If you cannot say that you take Christ's
cross, and are willing to follow Him at all
hazards, then hearken to me and learn the
truth. Do not make profession at ALL
Do not talk about baptism or the Lords
Supper, nor of joining church, nor of be-
ing Christian; for if you do, you will lie
against your own soul. If you have made
a profession, and yet it is not true, be hon
est enough to quit it, for it can never be
right to keep up fraud. A false profess
sion is crime, and to persevere in it is a
presumptuous sin. Whatever you are, or
are not, do be transparent, sincere, truth
full. If there be any man here who says in
his heart, "No, cannot suffer for truth S
sake: | will follow Christ as far as it is good
walking, aud costs nothing; but will not
go through the mire for Him. well, then,
turn back at once, for you are no true pill
grim. If you are determined not to press
onward even though the way should lie
through the Slough of Despond, you had
better make the best of your way home to
the City of Destruction; for you are not
man that God has called into this kingdom.
.'Strange advice" say you. Yes, but pru-
dent advice, too.
| If your avowal of faith in Jesus and op-
position to sin is not true you had better
withdraw it aud be silent; for by ground-
less pretence you will dishonor the cause Of
Ged, and cause the enemy to take up re-
proach against His people. If Shadrach,
Meshach, and Ahed-nego had stood before
NebuchadnezzarS and had made compro-
mise, would have dishonored the name of the
Lord. Suppose they had said. 80 king,
we believe in Jehovah, but we hardly know
what to do in our peculiar circumstances
We desire to please thee, and we also dread
the thought of the burning fiery furnace, and
therefore we must yield, though it greatly
grieves U.S." Why, they would have cast
shame upon the name of Israel. 1t wenld
have been idle to say that they would only
do it once, that it would be only mere
form, and so on; for had they bowed the
knee to the craven image, they would have
set ACKNOWLEDGMENT before Jehovah. They
might have pleaded that to refuse the great
king was virtually to cemmit suicide; but
they kept from such
CROOKED REASONING.
They might have argued that it was wise to
save their lives, because they could be SO
very useful to the Israelites, and to the cause
of true religion. am glad that three holy
children were not careful to answer" or
they might have fallen upon some crooked
policy or lame excuse for compromise.
| What have we to do with consequences p
1t is ours to do the right, and leave results
with the Lord. TO do wrong cannot under
any circumstances be right. Thousands of
Shame upon them They plead their own
necessities, their large families, their posi-
tiOn, their hopes of usefulness, and the ex-
amples of others; but none of these things
can excuse cowardice toward God. If by
doing little wrong we could effect great
deal of cd, we should not thereby be ex-
cused. This is common way of drugging
conscience, and 1 beseech you be your
guard against it.
III. But now, thirdly, let us consider
what follows
IF IT BE TRUE.
hope that any here can lay their hands
upon their hearts, and quietly say, Eyes,
it is true; we are determined not to bow be-
| fore sin, come what may" Well, then, if
it is true, l have this much to say to you:
dear brother, state this when it is demand
ed cf you. Declare your resolve. This will
strengthen it in yourself and be the means
of supporting it in others. This word is
meant for certain Christian people who
come in and out of this house, and join with
US in public worship, but have never open.
ly avowed themselves to be disciples of the
Lerd Jesus. Whenever we gather to the
remembrance of our dying Lord, they
either take their seats among the Onlook-
ers, or else they go home.
| This raises many anxious thoughts In eur
minds. Specially we are exercised with
this question these people have a faith
which they refuse to acknowledge, will
such faith save them? Scripture evident
ly lays great stress upon obedience Ito the
Lord, and taking up His cross and follow
ing Him. Will Jesus save those who will
not come out and bear His reproach? He
claims of all His followers that they follow
Him IL the daylight. 1t is written: eff
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised Him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved"
These are not words of mine, but of ths
Lord Jesus Himself; take heed unto your
selves that ye do not slight them. l dale
not leave out part of His Gospel command
when am preaching it. If you believe in
the Lord Jesus stand forth on His side.
Is it true? Then joyfully accept the
trial which comes of it. Shrink not from
the flames. Settle it in your minds that,
by divine grace, no loss, nor cross, nor
- c.. III I.